*Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo

What could possibly entice Mercy Watson to wander away from home? And who will help Mr. and Mrs. Watson recover their beloved porcine pet?

Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Dusen, Candlewick, 2023. Page count.

• Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 8-10
• Recommended For: Ages 8-10

In the grand finale to the Tales of Deckawoo Drive series, which features not only the buttered-toast loving porcine pet, but also the many-storied characters in the neighborhood and community, Mercy Watson disappears and the entire cast is called on stage to solve the mystery before they take the final bow.

Mr. and Mrs. Watson are distraught over the absence of their beloved pig. The authorities do not offer any help (this crisis doesn’t fit their respective offices), but the neighbors do, and they seek counsel from yet another unique character, Private Investigator Percival Smidgely, who has been waiting at his desk for a mystery that needs to be solved. There’s a new candy factory and a chase that ends in a mess, but nothing that can’t be settled amicably and comforted by toast with a great deal of butter.

Hunches and Buttery Aromas

Everyone participates in discovering the whereabouts of Mercy Watson by following hunches and buttery aromas. It’s interesting to note that in a series about a pig, Mercy is a rather static (though lovable) character, and the fun comes from meeting everyone else around her. There are no real villains in the series (except perhaps Eugenia Lincoln, and even she is no worse than crotchety), and the success of the series comes from DiCamillo’s talent for creating unique characters, and writing for an audience who needs gentle humor and plenty of books that are delightful, but not too difficult while they’re developing confident reading skills.

DiCamillo wraps up her series with a feast of celebration. I’m glad that she has moved on to something fresh (like the Puppets of Spelhorst and Orris and Timble). But I think that, like Winnie-the-Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood, there will always be welcoming nostalgia at Deckawoo Drive.

Remember, unless a book is starred, a review is not necessarily a recommendation. Read more about our ratings here.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: Why did Betsy give the whole Deckawoo Drive series a starred review? Read about the books here.
• Resource: I think Gladys Hunt would appreciate the Mercy Watson books. She wrote a blog post about Pigs and Possibilities.

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